Finally, Sacha Kljestan got on the Chivas USA score sheet for something other than a yellow card.

Oh, he did that too, but Kljestan’s curious season took a positive turn with the quick flick of his head in Chivas’ 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake Saturday night at Home Depot Center.

Reacting quickly to a crossing pass that had been deflected, Kljestan headed a pass right to the feet of midfielder Paulo Nagamura, whose blast from 20 yards ripped into the net to keep Chivas rolling.

Chivas (7-1-1) tied for the second-best start to a season in MLS history. In 2000, Kansas City started 7-0-2; and in ’01, Miami began 7-1-1. Chivas coach Preki played for both of those squads.

It was the first assist of the season for the club’s 2008 MVP.

Kljestan tied for the team lead with five goals last year and led it with seven assists, but it took eight games this year to dial up something in either category.

“I really don’t care about who has assists or goals,” Preki said. “The only thing that matters for me is how we play as a team. Assists will come, goals will come as long as we play as a team.

“We’re playing as a team, we’re playing as a group and it’s good to see.”

In keeping with his enigmatic tendencies, however, Kljestan earned a yellow card in the 25th minute, his fifth of the season, meaning he must sit out the next game because of card accumulation, which is accompanied by a fine.

So his assist basically cost $250. At this point, you get the feeling it was a bargain for Kljestan, who is coming off a breakthrough season but has struggled mightily in 2009.

Chivas (7-1-1, 22 points) played another tight defensive game for goalkeeper Zach Thornton, who needed to make only one spectacular save to earn his sixth shutout of the season. Chivas has allowed only three goals this season and only one in the past 593 minutes.

“Today, when we got in at halftime, we said, `Guys, let’s get one goal and we’ll take care of business.’ We have the confidence in each other, in our goalkeeper and all the guys in front of us,” Chivas defender Shavar Thomas said. “We don’t go into the games thinking all we need is one goal, but in the crucial point in the game, if we get one goal like around the 60th, 70th or 80th minute, we know we’re going to close it down and provide the goods.”

Real Salt Lake (3-4-1, 10) had only three shots on goal, with the best chance a 15-yard shot from the right by Javier Morales in the 64th minute. Thornton dived to his right to deflect the ball out of harm’s way.

“They played him through and (the defenders) did a good job of making him go wide,” Thornton said. “That makes it easier for me when he’s kind of going away from the ball and to a sharp angle. These guys in the back have done an outstanding job all year.”

It was the fourth loss in four road games for Real Salt Lake, which has yet to score away from home this season.

Chivas dominated the first half but couldn’t finish a play, with forwards Justin Braun and Eduardo Lillingston squandering chances.

But in the 54th minute, Lillingston sped down the right sideline and sent in a long crossing pass that appeared to be headed for the middle of five Real Salt Lake players.

RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman tried to chip the ball out, but Kljestan tracked it and headed it to his right. Nagamura, uncovered at the top of the penalty area, left no doubt with a booming shot to the right of goalkeeper Chris Seitz. That gives Nagamura the team lead with three goals.

“The ball was in a great place for me,” Nagamura said, “so I thought if I could hit it on the target, I had a good chance to score.”

Preki apparently didn’t want to sit on the lead, because he promptly substituted in a forward, Maykel Galindo, for midfielder Bojan Stepanovic.

Indeed, Chivas kept pressing the attack and Galindo had several opportunities, including a one-on-one moment with Seitz that the goalkeeper stopped.